Echo
by Sassybratt
Summary: She knew that all she ever had to do was call out his name and he would be there to rescue her. But now, even though she's screaming at the top of her lungs, it isn't enough. An echo is the only voice coming back. One-shot.


A/N: Inspired by the song _Echo_ by Jason Walker.

 **Echo**

"Hello?"

Silence. The well house was gloomy, but she didn't fear the miserable dreary shack. Because she knew that beyond the well was a fairytale world that she had come to adore. She had begun to call it home until it was ripped away from her without reason.

"Hello? Anybody there?"

Kagome Higurashi worried her bottom lip and clenched her hand in a fist against her chest. Her agate eyes tried to adjust to the shadows that were cast along the walls from the small beams of sunlight filtering through the well house doors. She could have sworn she had sensed a presence from inside the well, but now she knew her imagination was playing tricks on her.

There was no silver-haired boy waiting for her. The smell of the forest had disappeared days ago. Only a never-ending blackness greeted her when she peeked her head over the side of the well.

With a dejected sigh, Kagome ran her hands over the splintering wood of the Boneater's well and shook her head. "He's not coming back," she whispered, feeling her heart clench as she acknowledged those words aloud. "I'm all alone."

She wasn't sure what had happened in the feudal era after she had returned to modern-day Tokyo. The well had sealed her from the passage of time that had allowed her into a world of wonder. She no longer knew where her feudal era home five-hundred years in the past was anymore. But she missed it.

Kagome missed the amazing adventures she had partaken in. She missed Sango's bravery and friendship. She missed Miroku's lecherous yet wise behavior. She missed young Shippo's pranks and innocence. But most of all, she missed Inuyasha, the man who held her heart in a firm grasp.

She ran her fingers through her obsidian hair, trying without success to keep the tears at bay. It had been a week since the final battle against Naraku had ended. And although she had been trapped in darkness for three days, she had overcome her fears as soon as she was in her mother's arms. But the pain of losing all of her friends and her home only seemed to get worse.

"Inuyasha?"

His name rolled off her tongue gently, with adoration, as she recollected all the times they had spent together. He was her savior, her _protector_ , and no matter what happened, he would always be there when she needed him most. So … where was he now?

Every time she was wounded, he would be there. And every time she was kidnapped or in trouble, he would come charging after her. All she had to do was call out his name and wait patiently for him to call out hers. It was a ritual. Because no matter what, he would always come for her. All she had to do was ask.

"Inuyasha!" she said his name a little more forcefully.

There was no response. She felt she was on the edge, as she continued to scream his name like a fool at the top of her lungs. She didn't care who heard her or what they thought of her. It only mattered that somehow, someway, he could hear her.

Sometimes, Kagome would close her eyes and pretend as if it had all been a bad dream. That she would wake up and be lying on the forest floor with her friends. She would pretend that she was all right.

But when she opened her eyes, she realized it was hopeless. Simply wishing to return to Inuyasha wasn't enough. It would never be enough.

"Inuyasha!"

Her voice cracked and tears flew freely down her cheeks. She leaned over the edge of the well, gazing down into the darkness beyond. She screamed his name over and over again, but her only response was the echo of her own voice.

Kagome closed her eyes and took a deep breath. Her efforts were in vain. He couldn't hear her. She was fighting a losing battle, and she knew it. Her only friends that remained from her time-traveling days were simply the shadows on the wall. They were all she had left.

OooooO

"What's taking him so long?" Kagome mused softly. She was once again standing in the well house. She had just finished school for the day and found herself wandering to the one place that was her connection to home.

It had been over a year since the well sealed her away from the feudal era. She was sure everyone missed her on the other side, as she did them, but it was frustrating that they had to be so far apart. Where was her half-dog demon companion anyways? He would never give up on her, she was sure. So what was taking him so long to figure out a way to see her?

"Inuyasha?" she mumbled with a frown. She dug her nails into the side of the well to keep the shakiness out of her voice. "Please, listen to me," she begged. "I don't care if it's just a whisper. Please, just say my name."

Silence was her only answer.

She waited for a few minutes, peering down into the darkness of the well forlornly. She needed him to come and save her. To chase the crazy thoughts right out of her head. The dark thoughts that had begun to accompany her constantly a few days ago weren't going away. She was tired of waiting for something that may never happen. But she didn't dare give up. Because it was the only thing she ever wanted.

It was more than just _hoping_ that Inuyasha would come for her. It was sheer and unwavering _belief_ that he would.

"Inuyasha, I believe in you!" she screamed at the top of her lungs.

An echo was the only voice coming back to her.

OooooO

"I'll see you later," Kagome called over her shoulder with a wave to her friends. She had just finished up another year of school and was excited that there was only another year between her and graduation.

She smiled brightly as she trudged up the large staircase to the shrine. Her mother and gramps were already inside when she arrived. She gave them a quick hello before running upstairs and throwing her bag on the bed.

Her eyes fought to keep away from the yellow backpack that sat in the corner of her closet. It had definitely seen better days, but she didn't yet have the heart to get rid of it. Too many memories were attached to it, and she was afraid they may begin to disappear without the constant reminder.

Speaking of which, she had to make her usual appearance at the well. She usually made it there every three days if time allowed, and today was no different. In fact, it was more special because it had been exactly two years since she had been forced to return.

She walked the familiar path to the well house, humming a song with a sad tune. Birds chirped overhead, and she paused, closing her eyes and listening to their melody. A breeze blew softly over the shrine grounds, and for the first time in a long while, she felt at home.

It was a strange feeling. She felt so out of place in this modern world, like an island in the middle of an ocean. Her feudal fairytale had changed her in more ways than she dared to admit. She was no longer concerned with exams like her friends, or being accepted into university. She didn't stay hunched over her desk all night like she had done during her adventures, worried about her studies. Now, she simply did the best she could, knowing that it would be enough.

But …

She knew in the deepest parts of her heart that it would never be enough. She was simply going through the motions of the day, doing what she knew was expected of her, and following a routine. Her life was empty now. She no longer felt the excitement or thrill she experienced during battle, or the happiness and laughter from the company of friends. It was all foreign to her, as if from a different life completely.

Kagome exhaled deeply as she stared down into the well. Tears welled in her eyes, this time not born of sadness, but of loneliness. She didn't want to be an island. She didn't want to feel empty. She just wanted to feel alive and see Inuyasha's face again.

However, until that day came, she would continue to confide in the shadows on the walls and listen to the echo of her lover's name. They were her only friends. "Inuyasha," she whispered meekly, tears streaming down her face. "Inuyasha, please, I need you."

There was only silence.

OooooO

Graduation day.

It was a day of celebration, of achievement, of beating the odds and surviving the horror that was high school. There was supposed to be fun and laughter, tears of joy. Pictures were taken, smiles were given, and hugs were passed around. It was supposed to be a happy day.

And everyone was happy. Everyone except Kagome.

She still smiled like they expected and spoke excitedly of plans for university. But deep down, her heart was breaking all over again. Graduation was a special day. It was the beginning of a new chapter in her life. However, to Kagome, it only meant one thing.

Three years had passed since she had last seen Inuyasha. It was strange to realize it had been that long. When they were together, time seemed to stretch on forever. Now, it seemed to pass by without care. It didn't seem fair.

Kagome, still dressed in her graduation gown, folded her arms and leaned against the Bone eater's well. She stared down into the emptiness, barely able to see the bottom. She felt lost. What was she going to do? Where was she supposed to go from here? She had finished school, even after all the failure when she was in the feudal era. She had even been accepted into three different universities.

For the past three years, the sun continued to rise and set, but the shadows always stayed. The clock continued to tick, but time stood still. How could she move forward with her life when all she ever wanted was five-hundred years in the past?

She closed her eyes and sighed. The entire well house seemed to ring with the echoes of the life she lived, but had lost, especially now, when all she did was spend time wondering about tomorrow. Kagome knew that she couldn't wait for something that may never happen. She couldn't put her life on hold, hoping and praying that one day Inuyasha would come for her.

"Inuyasha," she called into the darkness of the well. "Inuyasha!"

Out on the edge, screaming his name, she knew this was the last time she would visit the well. She knew that if he didn't come for her, that she would have to move on, no matter how much it would hurt.

She wept bitterly, her shoulders shaking with grief. It felt like emptiness in her heart, a shear of nothingness that somehow took over and held her soul and threatened to kill her entirely. It gave her this heavy feeling that was like the weight of the world was resting on her shoulders and there was nothing she could do to get out from under it. It was like a hole in her heart that was the shape of the love she lost and it made her feel the need to wipe away her tears. But she couldn't.

Because this was how she was going to let go. This was how she was going to say goodbye.

Kagome mourned for hours. She screamed out at the top of her lungs, thrashing against the well, angry with fate and with herself for allowing this to happen. For allowing herself to fall in love with a boy that would never be hers.

Finally, exhausted, she sank to her knees and breathed deeply, her ears still pulsing with the echoes of her cries. She was done. There were no more tears to shed or words to scream out. All of her pain had built up over the years until she released it all at once. And now it was over.

Slowly, Kagome stood on shaky legs, using the well as support. She peered down into the well a final time. "Inuyasha," she spoke, her voice drained and broken. "Inuyasha, I love you." She bit her lip and paused for a moment. "Do you hear me?" she called out. "I love you, you stupid dog. I love you, Inuyasha!"

His name echoed throughout the well house, but then it was silent. She waited a few moments longer, staring into the bottom of the well, hoping beyond hope that he had somehow heard her. But when the moments became minutes, she knew it was lost.

She was just about to give up and turn away, ready to leave this life behind, when a deep blue took hold of the inside of the well. Her eyes widened. It sparkled and shimmered, as if a wave through time, until finally it revealed clear blue skies.

Hesitantly, she called out his name. "Inuyasha?"

…

…

…

"Kagome."


End file.
